Stein’s $1.4B proposal swiftly rejected by Republican majorities

(The Center Square) – Day 252 of North Carolina’s wait for a state budget included a brief gaveling in of the General Assembly, a $1.4 billion critical needs budget proposal from the governor, and a swift rejection from General Assembly leadership.

While the Republican majority Senate was not expected to find favor with first-term Democratic Gov. Josh Stein’s proposal, it remains under close watch for whether its leader moves to lame duck status amid the proposals. Sen. Phil Berger, R-Rockingham, and Rockingham County Sheriff Sam Page are on track for a recount in their Republican primary, with Page holding a modest lead of 23 votes from more than 26,000 cast.

The two-year state budget was due to be enacted July 1. Per a 2016 law, the state operates under the previous spending plan when a new one is awaited after the deadline. Lawmakers in 2025 passed what are called mini-budgets to help bridge the absence.

The House of Representatives, led by Speaker Destin Hall, R-Caldwell, has already ...